The Bracelet
by UltimatelyDelightful
Summary: Natsu screws up on a mission for the millionth time and Lucy doesn't receive the reward for the millionth time. What will Natsu do to make it up to her? FLUFF & ONE-SHOT!


**Hey! So I decided to create this one-shot as an adjustment to the characters and universe even though there isn't much going on except NaLu but who said I couldn't please myself while I do? ;D**

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to the amazing Hiro Mashima!**

* * *

**The Bracelet**

"Stupid Natsu. Stupid, stupid, stupid! He thinks he is so amazing and perfect as to just let him go away like that!" Lucy complained fiercely at her best friend, Levy who was just nonchalantly leaning back against the bench of the table.

Levy had her red Wing Reading Glasses on as her eyes shifted left and right swiftly through the pages of a book, consuming all the words into her mind. "Not only did he fail the mission but we didn't get the reward! Why is it that all the missions we go on we rarely receive the reward because of Natsu's destruction or just for being 'courteous'?" The blond mage continued complaining.

She usually would complain about Natsu and gets over it but this time it seemed like it made her snap. Levy breathed in, not really being able to really concentrate with someone yelling in her face. The small mage looked up from her book, placing it down on the table.

"Can you calm down and tell me what happened, Lu-chan?" Levy asked with the most sincere voice. Lucy kept her eyebrows furrowed and her jaw clenched.

She took a deep breath and rested her elbow on the table, weighing her cheek on her bare palm. She began her story, "Well, it was about the time for my rent to be due so Natsu helped me out and Natsu, Happy, and I went on a mission without Gray or Erza…"

*Flashback*

_Natsu narrowed his eyes down over a young man who was cowering before Natsu, bruised and burn marks covered his body. "Not that tough anymore, huh?" The Dragon Slayer gave the man a wickedly toothy grin, furrowing his eyebrows with his arms at his sides, clutching his fists. _

_The young man showed fear in his eyes. He never fought a Dragon Slayer or anyone like Natsu before. It only took a few punches to defeat him. Lucy stood in the background, watching Natsu with a smirk on her face. Happy flew about Lucy, cheering his best friend on. "P-Please, let me go… I'm sorry I was stealing the food from the village. M-My father… he's sick and we don't have money or anyone else to take care of him. Please…" The boy pleaded, leaving his arms in front of him for protection and lifting his knees against his chest, shaking. Lucy and Happy were waiting for Natsu to finish, not knowing why Natsu won't move._

_"Is something wrong, Natsu?!" Happy yelled over to Natsu. The fire mage stared down at the boy; hesitantly he picked him up from his shirt collar with his right hand and pulled him closer to Natsu. _

_Natsu gave him a death glare, "Stealing food from this village will only make the village people suffer for lack of food. There are plenty of sick people out there who need it like you." He pushed him away. "If you want to help your dad, try doing something else instead of being a thief cause in the end, you won't be able to see your father anymore while you're being punished." The serious gaze in Natsu's eyes sent chills down the boy's spine but got the message to just go. Lucy and Happy watched the boy run away and Lucy gritted her teeth and furrowed her eyebrows._

Unbelievable… Natsu let him go._ Lucy thought to herself and her gaze shifted to Natsu who watched him leave before turning and walking back to Lucy and Happy with his big toothy grin._

*Flashback Ends*

Lucy finished her story with a disappointed sigh. Levy had her eyebrow raised, "Natsu let him go? Did he even tell you why?" Lucy shook her head bluntly. Natsu suddenly appeared with an arm around Lucy's shoulder and a smile on his face, startling Lucy.

"Hey, Luce! Hi Levy!" he greeted the girls. Levy waved at him with a small smile and Lucy just looked away, still frustrated and mad.

Natsu glanced at Lucy with a confused look on his face. "What's wrong, Lucy?" Lucy just knocked his hand off and slid off the bench of the table then walked out of the guild.

Natsu looked over at Levy who shyly smiled at Natsu.

* * *

Lucy walked out of the bathroom in her bedroom wearing her white t-shirt and pick shorts with slippers and her pigtails. She has been thinking a lot while showering that maybe she over reacted a bit to Natsu and knowing Natsu, if he decided to let a thief of the hook then he had to have a good reason behind it, right? She sighed deeply and decided to write a bit in her story to take her mind off of things and relax. She sat at her desk and took out a pen, her small pile of papers with were her stories already ready for her on the desk.

Natsu walked down the street to Lucy's house, unsure of what happened earlier. Now that he thought of it, she did seem a bit pissed off on the way back to Magnolia after the mission. He was looking down at his feet, thinking when he paused in his track and looked up to Lucy's apartment window. The lights were still lit so he decided to visit. He jumped up to her window and knocked on the glass already aware it was locked like always.

Lucy jumped and fell off her seat with a squeal. She glanced up and saw Natsu at the window. She furrowed her eyebrows. She didn't really want to deal with him right now, especially in the middle of writing her story. She stood up and walked over to her window, crawling over her bed to reach for the small handle to unlock the window. Natsu gave her a small smile once the window opened but she just crawled off her bed and went back to writing her story. _Wow, not even a why are you here?! Or what are you doing?! As she would usually do. _Natsu thought, slightly frowning and sat on her bed, staring at her.

Lucy glanced over at him and sighed. She set her pen down and turned to him. "Are you expecting me to yell at you?" she crossed her arms across her chest. Natsu just continued staring at her, sitting cross-legged on her bed.

Lucy's cheeks became a light pink. "W-What?" she asked, confused by his stare.

The fire mage didn't look away. "Why are you mad at me?" he bluntly asked, reading her face.

Lucy just furrowed her eyebrows. "You don't know?" Not a surprise for coming from the densest person in the world. Natsu just shook his head and starting replaying everything that happened right before he noticed how pissed off she was on the way home.

Lucy rolled her eyes and sighed in defeat, stopping this game of guessing. She closed her eyes to think of a way to avoid this, "Just forget about it. I was just over-reacting out of frustration." She turned to go back to her story when she ran into a muscular chest. She looked up and realized it was Natsu. She felt his warmth radiating off his chest as she stepped away.

"Tell the truth, Lucy. Please?" The pink-haired mage begged, looking down at her with eyes as big as Happy's when he asks Lucy for a fish.

Lucy bit her bottom lip, already giving in. "I was just mad because the group always has to run into situations where we don't get rewarded. I was just being egotistical and frustrated since my rent was already due." She admitted.

Natsu raised an eyebrow, "Aren't you always complaining about that?"

Lucy glared at Natsu. "No, I don't!" She felt mad that he had to sound like Happy. Natsu raised his hands in surrender.

"Well you didn't have to act so stingy at me." Natsu pouted at Lucy.

Lucy just rolled her eyes and began pushing him towards the window, "Whatever, just get out and we can move on with our lives." Natsu suddenly slipped and tripped backwards because of a shirt on the floor, making stumble Lucy fall back as well and as an instinct, tried reaching for something to grab on too. Her hand landed on furniture but slipped when she only grabbed on to a bracelet that was on the furniture. The bracelet fell with her and apiece broke off, sliding under her dresser.

Lucy sat up with her arm as support, rubbing the back of her head with her other hand. Natsu also sat up and shook the dizzy feeling. He glanced at Lucy, "What was that shirt doing there?"

Lucy gritted her teeth, shooting a glare at Natsu who quickly stood up, feeling a chill run down his spine by her fearful gaze. "Okay! Okay! I'll leave!" He began crawling on her bed to the window when she heard her gasp. He turned to her and saw her staring down at something in her hand, "What's wrong?"

Lucy suddenly looked around on the floor, ignoring what he said. She looked under her desk and crawled over to her bed to look under it then to her dresser and sighed in relief, reaching out her arm under the dresser and grabbing onto the piece that separated from the bracelet.

Natsu raised an eyebrow, confused by what she was making a big fuss about. He saw in her hand a golden charm bracelet with unique charms on it. One charm was a rose, second a lion, and the third a book. Lucy sat back up and immediately frowned.

"Lucy?" Natsu crawled back off her bed and sat next to her. She held in her other hand a charm that was the shape of a key. He rasied an eyebrow, it seemed to have snapped off the bracelet.

Lucy murmured something to herself that Natsu didn't quite hear. "Huh?" Natsu glanced up at her.

Lucy stared down at her lap. "Mom…" Lucy's voice shook slightly. Natsu frowned, feeling a pit in his stomach. Did her mother give her that bracelet? Oh no… was it his fault for slipping and make her accidently grab on to the bracelet?

"L-Lucy?" He repeated trying to get her to come back to reality. Lucy glanced up at Natsu with glassy eyes. Oh great. Now he made her cry too. He gulped not knowing what to say. "We can fix the bracelet, right?" He tried shining a bit of hope to her.

Lucy rubbed her eyes trying not to start bawling in front of someone over a little bracelet. "How?" Natsu stood up and reached his hand out to her, which she took and stood up.

"At one of those stores where they sell jewelry." Natsu smiled at her.

Lucy smiled back at him, sniffling. "Okay."

Natsu grinned, seeing her smile. "Alright, let's go." He turned to leave when she tugged on his vest.

"I'm sort of not in the attire to be going outside, right now. Just wait and I'll change." Lucy said and immediately grabbed her clothes then walked into the bathroom. Natsu sighed and waited for her.

A few minutes later, she stepped out the bathroom and saw Natsu sleeping on her bed. She hit her forehead with her palm and walked over to him, before she could say anything she looked at him. He was faced up, with a goofy smile on his face and his hands behind his head, snoring softly. The Celestial mage giggled to herself.

_He looks cute when he's sleeping. _Lucy thought to herself, smiling.

Suddenly, almost being punched in the face, Natsu punches the air. "Take that… Gildarts." He mumbled then rolled on his side facing Lucy like a little kid and curled himself in the ball. Lucy giggled again and rolled her eyes.

As much as she would love to watch him sleep, she began poking his shoulder. "Natsu… get up." The sleeping Dragon Slayer swept her finger off from his shoulder then rolled around to the other side, his back facing her now. She furrowed her eyebrows and rested her hands on her hips, thinking of how to wake him up.

She started shaking him violently, "NATSU, WAKE UP! GRAY ATE ALL OF THE FOOD IN THE GUILD!" Natsu suddenly punched the air again but instead it hit Lucy square in her face and she slid down on the floor beside the bed, replacing her eyes with x's.

"Stupid, Gray!" Natsu shouted and sat up then looked around noticing no one was around. "Huh? Lucy? Are you still changing?"

Lucy slowly slid back up the side of the bed. A dark aura surrounded her as she gave Natsu a death glare. Natsu jumped with a slight squeal escaping his mouth. He crawled away from her, against the wall the bed was against. Lucy growled, she stood up and grabbed Natsu by the ear.

Natsu began whimpering in fright of what might come. She dragged him off the bed and positioned him beside the bed but across from the window, "…LUCY KICK!" Natsu screamed as he flew out through the window, luckily still opened from when he entered and he landed in the river across the apartment. Lucy feeling satisfied about herself, began dancing 'The Virgo' in victory. Virgo appeared in the background dancing along with her.

* * *

Natsu and Lucy walked down the street. Her mind was in thought, staring down at the pieces of her charm bracelet. She was remembering the time her mother first gave it to her along with the first charm which was the key. It was the year before she passed away that she gave the golden bracelet to her. Natsu took glimpses at Lucy ever so often. He was curious about the bracelet so he just had to ask. "So, what's with the bracelet?"

Lucy snapped from her trail of thoughts and looked up at him. "Oh, the bracelet was a gift from my mother. The key charm was the first charm she gave me."

Natsu nodded, glancing at the rose, the lion, and the book. "What about the other charms?"

Lucy smiled and held out the rose one first. "This one was from… Michelle." Natsu smiled, remembering her and how thoughtful of her to have given her a charm. Lucy held out the lion, "Of course this one is from Loke."

Natsu chuckled, "Course."

Lucy held out the book, "And from Levy." She smiled, looking through her charms. "My charm bracelet is very special to me."

Natsu nodded, "Like my scarf is to me?"

Lucy giggled, "Exactly. Like your scarf is to you."

Natsu raised an eyebrow, realizing something. "How come I've never seen you wear it?"

Lucy shrugged, "I guess I'm scared to lose it."

"But something that special should be worn and shown so others can see."

Lucy brightly smiled at Natsu, "Yeah. I suppose so." Natsu gave her his toothy grin. The rest of the walk Lucy just recalled how Michelle, Loke, and Levy gave her the charms.

Natsu sighed, resting the back of his head on his hands. "Found it." Lucy paused when she heard Natsu and glanced at the store. The store wasn't very large but it was very simple. It was made of wood with glass windows and a sign above to main doors that said "Tamari's Jewels". Natsu and Lucy walked in and noticed the long glass counter that reached both sides of the room. In the glass counter were lots of jewelry in display and on the ends of the counter there were some jewelry on display in a stand.

As they stepped through the glass double doors, a bell jingled which an elder man with round glasses walked up with the counter. Lucy and Natsu approached him. "Welcome! Welcome! What can I help you youngsters with?" The elder asked, generously. The shiny jewelry in the counter distracted Natsu as Lucy talked to him.

She gave him a smile and showed the man her bracelet and the charm. "Is there a way you can fix this? It's real gold." The elder man took the bracelet and observed it thoroughly. Then he picked up the charm and examined it.

"It seems to me that the charm snapped off the bracelet." He said.

Lucy gave him a blank expression, "I'm aware of that…" The old man continued examining it.

"I might just be able to fix this." Lucy grinned in excitement. "But it will be five thousand jewels."

Suddenly, Lucy's grin dropped. "F-Five thousand jewels?" The old man set the bracelet and the charm on the glass, nodding.

Natsu glanced up, "Don't you think that's a bit expensive, Gramps?"

The old man pushed his glasses up. "I am sorry but this bracelet is very valuable." Lucy frowned and picked up the bracelet and charm.

"Thank you anyways…" Lucy left without even bothering to use her 'sex appeal'. Natsu also frowned and followed Lucy out. The old man waved at them.

"I'm real sorry, Luce." Natsu watched Lucy as she just stared down at the ground. Natsu really hated seeing her like this. It was his fault that she has money problems. She can never really do a job by herself because she likes doing them with her partners and thinks she's not even strong enough to take on a mission herself. He also felt horrible that her bracelet is broken. It's a reminder of her mother like how his scarf is to Igneel.

Lucy just continued looking down at her feet. It was the middle of the day still. Maybe he can do something for her.

Natsu took Lucy to her house as always. "Are you gonna be okay?" Lucy glanced up at him, confused.

"Natsu, it's just a bracelet. I'm gonna be okay." Lucy forced a smile up at him. "Thanks for doing all this though." She went up on her tiptoe and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Natsu wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her back, knowing that she wasn't 'okay'. Lucy pulled away and went into her house, smiling at him before she shuts the door behind her. Natsu sighed and began walking to his own home where Happy was probably worried about him.

* * *

The next day in the guild, Lucy sat at the bar where Mira-Jane was scrubbing the mugs and plates clean. Lucy had her head resting down on the counter like she does when she was down. Mira walked up to her and sets a glass of Vanilla milkshake in front of her. Lucy glanced up at Mira and she winks at her. "Thanks, Mira." Lucy smiled and sat up to begin drinking her milkshake. Mira simply gave her a smile as she always does.

"Hey Lucy-nee, have you seen Natsu-nii?" A boy with black hair walked up behind Lucy. Lucy swallowed some of the milkshake and looked back at the boy.

"Hi Romeo and no I actually haven't." Lucy said a hint of concern.

Romeo glanced down in disappointment, "He said he wanted to start training with me but I've been looking everywhere and asked everyone. No one knows where he is and Happy isn't even here." Lucy started to become worried. It isn't like Natsu to just decided to not go to the guild one day.

"Don't worry, Romeo, I'm sure he's fine. He might have just over slept." Lucy reassured Romeo. Romeo nodded and walked away. Lucy sighed then turned back to her milkshake, thinking of what he could be doing. "Mira-san, do you know where Natsu is?"

Mira paused for a second from scrubbing her mug then continued scrubbing. "Not at all. He might have over slept like you said." Lucy raised an eyebrow and began playing with the straw of her milkshake.

The rest of the day was slightly boring. Especially for Gray's since he seemed to be aching for a fight while he was looking around the guild a few times. Lucy's landlady was surprisingly nice enough to extend her payment for an extra three days. Although Lucy had no idea how she would be able to get that much money when no one was around to do missions with her. Lucy really wanted to pay her fee already. She felt anxious whenever her mind traveled to money. She felt like she was about to become homeless.

Romeo looked so depressed, after all this time that Natsu has asked if he can train with Romeo he isn't here for the chance. Even Carla was looking around for the male cat, expecting him to come up to her to offer a fish. The guild felt slightly quieter, still everyone was loud but it felt like something was missing. Lucy just walked around the guild, sometimes stopping to chat with people then she strolls past the request board and takes glances at it ever so often and glances at the main doors ever so often, expecting like something might eventually happen. She basically did this the whole time until it was time for everyone to leave home.

Lucy grabbed her stuff, said bye to her comrades then walked on home. She walked on the edge of the street beside the water to her house, thinking of her own things and sometimes coming around to what Natsu was doing. Hearing in the back the sound of the usual guys who float by in their boat when she is on her way home and they shout, "Be careful, young lady!" or something like that. I honestly don't understand why they always take their time to do that. Do they conveniently pass by when I'm on my way home or are they just creepy stalkers?

She walked in her home and the first thing that came into mind was if Natsu wasn't waiting in her home, then there is definitely something up. The blond mage cautiously walked around her, scoping out the rooms when she went to her room and quickly opened it. She was confused; no one was in her house. No that that was a bad thing but for Natsu not even being in the guild today. There had to be something wrong. She set her stuff down then took a quick peak in her bathroom just to make sure. It was empty. She undressed and quickly went in the tub.

After her warm bath, she dressed in her pajamas and yawned, stretching her arms out in front of her. She was just about to lift the blankets when she found a small box with a note. She raised an eyebrow then looked around. Was it there before? She took the note and it said, 'To: Lucy, From: Natsu' and on the corner was written 'And Happy'. The girl smiled and looked at the small box. It was blue with a pick ribbon wrapped around it. She pulled on the ribbon and opened the box, revealing something that made her grin widely. She took out her charm bracelet, which the key charm was back on. The charms were still hanging from it as well. The rose, the lion, the book, the key, and… a dragon? Lucy didn't remember having a dragon as part of her charm bracelet. She looked in the box again and found an envelope that was underneath the charm bracelet.

She took the envelope and opened it. She gasped, there were exactly seventy thousand jewels inside! Lucy also noticed another note that was inside. She took it and read it out loud. "I'm sorry I couldn't get more so you can pay your rent more then once. But I was able to get a mission that paid for both your charm and your rent. Sorry I didn't invite you along. Yet again, sorry for everything." Lucy smiled at the note for a while and looked at her charm bracelet and the money to pay her rent. She really was lucky to have someone at her side like Natsu.

* * *

The next day at the guild, as soon as Lucy found Natsu she ran at him and tackled him into a hug. His eyes widen, not expecting a hug. "Thank you, Natsu." Lucy whispered into his chest. Natsu smiled, already knowing what she thanked him for.

"Your welcome." Natsu responded back.

Happy just snickered and said, "You _llllllllliiiiiiiikkkke_ each other!" He rolled his tongue as always, although this one longer then before.

* * *

**D'aww, well that was fun to write! Hope you all liked it and I would be grateful if you would tell me if I was out of character or got something out of place!**

**Remember to read my new and main story, New Nakama!**

**Review, Favorite, and Follow! :D**


End file.
